X m motos-vehicle



PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908. T. L. @n T. J. .STURTEVANE MOTOR VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.3,1904.

3 SHEBTS-SHEET l.

PATLNTLD AUG. 25 T. L. L T. J. STURTLVANT.

MTOR VEHICLE. v APPLICATION FILED SEPT.3,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

No. 897,230. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1908. T. L. @L T. J. ST'RTEVANT.

. MQTR VEHGLE.

APPLICATION FILED 8313123.19011.

a SHEETS- SHEET s.

it". wr-i 'Nrn in@ Medida@ cierren.

nicnas tessere s'runrnvANr, or Quiaicv, AND THOMAS JOSEPH s'rURrnvANr, or v wntnnstnv, MAssAonUsnrrs.

aspiration sies sapiente e, ieee. sean no. essen.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown. that we, Teoras Lneen'rr Srrrnrnvanr and lnoivms Josnrn STURTE- versn both citizens ci the United States,

residing, respectively', at Quincy and at 'Vtelleslem in. the county oi' Norfolk and State oli' Massachusetts, have invented certain newand useful improvements in Motor- "iehicles, of which. the following is a 'specii'ica tion, reference being had therein to the ac,

com'ianying drawings. v

Tie present invention relates to motor vehicles and is designed especially for motor cars or automobiles, in connection with which ty e oi vehicle the invention will be illustrate and described, but it will be understood that in many of its features it is applicable to other types of vehicles, such as motonbcats; and in fact may be used in connection with any high-speed motor olv2 the eX- plosiontype.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple vand etlicient mechanism for the control of the motive power, and to effect a reduction of the number of levers and'pedals necessary for the management of the car; this being an important thing in motor car construction; and, as will hereinafter appear, this problem has been solved by providing construction in which a single conf trolling lever or element. serves to take care of the carbureting devices and the sparking instrumcntalities, so that they will work in perfect harmony at all times and be under 'the immediate control oi the operator; and as a result the motor, the clutch devices, and the driving mechanisms are at all times under the control or the operator through a single part or element.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a sidevelevation of-so much ci a chassis as' will serve to illustrate the invention, parts of the construction being in section forclearness of illustration. Fig. 2 is a view of the crankcase and the removable cylinders to show the novel manner of assembling these parts with relation to each other and the chassis frame. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the conn trol mechanism for the sparking circuit. Fig. et is a sectional view to show the clutch and gearing devices. Fig. 5 is a detail View toshow a modied construction for attaching the cylindecsecuring through-bolts to the crank-case. v Fig. 6 is a sectional view ciA a cylinder en line vii-6 Figsi. Figs. 7 and Specioation ci Letters Patent.

aiented Aug. 25, 1908.

'are transverse sectional views of cylinders Ishowing slightly modified constructions for mounting the through-bolts for securing the cylinders to the crank-case. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on line 9 9-, Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, 12 indicates the chassis or trame of the car, from the underside of which frame the motor 1.3 is hung by means of suitable supports 14, bolted to the lower horizontal webs of the side-beams of the chassis, as seen in Fig. 2. This crosswise arrangement of `the motor has the advantage of giving great rigidity to the chassis; the

motor frame being, in eHect, a transverse brace beam joining the chassis sidebeams; and furthermore since the cylinders are in direct heat-conducting contact with the said side beams, the heat of the cylinders is elicotively dissipatedlby the chassis. The motor, which, in the present instance, is shown as of the horizontal,` opposed-cylinder type, has the inclosed crank-case 15, to the opposite side of which the motor cylinders 16 are detachably secured. Said cylinders 16 are held to the crank-case by means of long ten-v sion members or through-bolts 17 which eX- in lugs 18 on the outside of the cylinders 16 (see Figs. 2 and. 6)'.v ll`he said bolts 17 vmay extend throughlthe crankcase as shown in Fig. 2, or they may enter lugs 117 cast in each saide of the crank-case, as shown in Fig. 5. Instead of forming the orifices or recesses in lugs formed on the cylinders, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, these cylinder lu s may be omitted,` if desired, and the throng bolts 17 may pass through and be seated either in holes (see Fig. 7 or notches (see Fig. 8) formed in the circumferential ribs of the cylinders,` any oneorp the modifications shown and described ail'ording' a strong, rigid construction. lt will be seen that'said bolts 17 and since they are so placed Wit respect to the cylinders that `they are subjected through temperature, no di culty orsreakage arises because of unequal expansion and contraction ofthe parts. 'llhel cylinders 16 carry the exhaust and inlet valve, as shown, (see Figs.: 1 and 2) so thatthe cylinders when removed tion-a-mechanic may readilylremave anyone tend from thcoutsides of the` heads of 4the cylinders16 through orifices or side recesses add great rigidity to thefiramin of the car,

out their entire length to the same degree of carry-all their. associated parts with them? t ltwill he apparent that with this constrig-f4A dii .having .angular arms or projections 52.

senseo its control mechanisms, the high-speed clutch will be thrown into operation and a 1naX1- mum speed attained.

The operation will perhaps be betterun- Aderstood by reference to Fig. 4 of the 'drawings, in connection with Figui. wheel 45., which is rigidly connected with the The flyinotor or engine-shaft 'so as to rotate therewith, is formed hollow for the reception of the automatic centrifugal clutch-device which is preferably employed to connect the said ily-wheel with the driven or power-transmitting shaft' 47. ln'the construction herein shown a rin 48 is secured to the ihterior'of the ily-whee "45 and isV provided with a cenf tral, inwardly projecting'webl or ilange 49.

Pivoted to suitable lugs projecting from thev overcome by centrifugal action due to rota-V 3 tion of the ily-wheel said weights will be forced outwardto effect friction-al vengagement, by the angular arms 52, between the clutch members to set the power-transmitting shaft 47 in motion.

liieyed or otherwise suitably secured to the shaft 47 is a high-speed hub or clutch-drum engaged with which, to rotate therewith,

hy means of interlocking notches and-pro- `iections, are clutch rings or disks 457 and engag-ed with the ring 48, to rotate therewith, also by interlocking notches or projections, are clutch rings or disks 58, alternatingwith` the clutch-rings or disks 57. Mounted to ro. tate loosely on the shaft 47 is a low-speed hub or clutch-drum 59, with which are also engaged, to rotate therewith, a series of clutchrings orv disks 50 alternating with clutch rings or disks 51 rotating with the ring 48.

The clutch rings or disks 57, 58, 50 and 51 .are free to move longitudinally of the shaft 47 for clutching and unclutching operation.

The several clutch rings or disks will be forced into frictional clutchingengagement with. cach other and with the web or iiange 49 of the ring 48 by the arms 52 ofthe weights 50 and 51 when the speed of rotation of the clutch-casing or iiy-wheel 45l is sufli-- -cient to overcome,.by centrifugal action, the

stress' of the spring 55. -The high-speed centrifugal weights 50 will be controlled by springs 55 of greater power or stress, or

placed under greater tension, than the lsprings controlling the low-speed centrifugal weights 51, and these springs may be' adjusted by means of the nuts 54 to any degree of tension or stress to be overcome by any de sired predetermined speed of rotation of the ily-wheel or casing 45 connected with the motor or power-shaft 45.

Keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft i 47, to rotate therewith, are gear-wlrcels'52 and '53. ,Connected with the clutch drum or huh 59 by a sleeve 54 is a gear-wheel'55, meshing with a larger gear-wheel or gear-ring 55,

connected with ash'aft 57, mounted insuitJ` able bearings in the gear-case, 33, by a silent ratchet or grip device comprising@ wheel 58,

.keyed to the said shaft-and provided at its periphery with tapering recesses as shown our said patent, for the reception of clutch or grip rollers59, with which coperate coilsprings (not herein shown) to assist in the initial yield w en t e shaft 'vZnoverruns in speed the gear-wheel 55', and thereby releases the clutch or grip rollers 59 and disengages the 1 said gear-wheel from itsgrip or silent-ratchet connection, with said shaft, as'ex'plained in our said Patent No. 755,551, 'hereinbefore mentioned. I

Splined to the shaft 57, to rotate therewith, is a gear-wheel 7 0 meshing with the gearm wheel 52 on the shaft 47 the hub of the said gear-wheel being provided with a smaller 'gear-wheel 72adaptedfto he shifted into engagement with an idlergear 73 rotating on a stud 7 4 `and meshingvwith the gear 53 'po eration, but which. springs will keyedfto the power-transmitting shaft 47. The annularly-grooved hub of the gear 72 is.

engaged by a pin or pins on a shifting arm or lever 34, and by which the gears 70 and72 may be shifted lengthwise of the shaft 57 to disengage the gear 7 O from the gear 52 and to engage the gear 72 with the gear 7 3 when the 4direction of rotation of the apowentransmitting shaft 47 is to be reverse The operation of the above described clutch and gearing mechanism Iis as, follows: ll/'hen the dy-wheel or clutch-casing' 45 attains a speed orotation sufficient to overu come the stress of the s rings holding the low-speed centrifugal weig ts inward, the said weights will be forced. outward and the said .arms 5 2 connected therewith will force the low-speed clutching-disks' into frictional en- Lilli gagernent with each other, andthus, through" x theclutch-drurn or hub 59, sleeve 54, gears 55, 55, and the silent-ratchet or'grip device and wheel 58, will set the shaft 57 into roter.. tion; and the latter, through thegears 75 andi.' l'

72, will transmit movement to the driven or power-transrnitting shaft 47 be increased to a point suiicient to overcome the stress of the springs 55, controlling the high-speed centrifugal weights 50, said lastnamed weights will he forced outward and their arms 52 will force the high-speed clutch disks into. frictional engagement with each other, and thus impart movement te the lf the speed of rotation of the ily-wheel or clutch-casing 45 trie pov/er-transinittmg shaft l? direct through the clutch-drum G, keyed to said shaft; the gear-wheel G6 then overrunning loosely and idly. lt", however, the duty'or load on the orner-transmitting shalt d? becomes too `eat tor the power received troni the motor driving-shalt for the high-speed at Which mechanism maybe running,`or it the power received shaft be lessened. so as to reduce such speed below the point at Which thc high-speed centrifugal clutch-Weights are set to operate, the high-speedclutches Will cease to act and the low-speed clutches Will immediately come into operation and continue the rotation ol the pouter-ti'ansmittinp' shalt, but at a reduced rate of speed, through the lower gearing connecting the low-speed clutch-disks with the said power-transmitting shalt il?. ll any time the load or duty on the powertransmitting shaft becomes sufficiently heavy or great to throw the loW- speed clutches out of action, by reducing the speed of i t ion of the lyvlieel and clutch gear casing below the predetermined speedpoint for which the low-speed centrifugalclutcli-,weights may be adiusted, the motor or power-shaft Will become entirely disengaged from the power-transmittingshaft i7 and the engine or motor Will then run .tree until it attains a speed sufficient to again engage tlic low-speed clutch device. lt Will thus be understood, as the automatic ccnti-iilugally controlled clutch andvgear changing mechanism is governed by the speed of the motor, which is in turn manually controlled by the 'foot-button or push-pin 1Q, through the throttle-valve, that the said mechanism is ur der the control of said tootbucton or push-pin, as are also the sparking mechanism, the governor for the latter, and the. cnt-out switch. The terms "manually controlled or manual as herein employed are intended to refer to a device or art to Ywiiicl the foot 'or hand oi the atten( ant or driver may be applied to operate or control the same.

The terni automatic, as hereinafter used in the claims ol" this case in connection with the clutch and change-gear devices or mechanisms, is intended to include power-operated means 'lor automatically setting or releasing the clutch devices ing the speed o"tears, so that merely by the maninulation ol a single controlling` device,I

as a ever or push-button, the clutch mechev anisin or clutching parts Will be automaticengagcd by power to set the driving sli al t into operation; and When the vehicle is running the changes from low-speed to hio'hspeed, and vice versa, will be etlected by power or according to the speed ol the motor or engine, 'without requiring any manually exerted power to set or release the clutchdevices or to change the speed gears, these from the motor or power-A and also for changculasse operations being effected by power or aulomatically.

The reversing gear, which is mounted Within the gear-box 33, is controlled by means of alever 34 connected with a thrust rod 35 joined to the 'foot' lever 36, pivoted on the inclined pedal board; While the braking mechanism, parts of which appear herein, butto which no claim is made in the present case, is controlled by a second pedal lcvei' 37, shoivn'in dotted lines in l? ig. l. lt will thus' appear-that the entire control o'l the cai', and all its mechanisms, is reduced to three controlling devices, in addition, of course, to thc` usual steering gear (not shown).

rlhe miilller, as herein shown, comprises a mufr'ler-casing 38 which may be ol' any approved or suitable construction, said inulllcr .casing having a header 39 secured at one end, -which header receives a plurality ol cooling` pipes oitubes llt). At their outer ends said pipes enter a second header ll.' which receives the exhaust pipe l'roin the engine cylinders. By this arrangement it Will be seen that the exhaust gases must pass through the cooling tubes Ll() before entering the mulller 38, and the result is that the cooled and spent gases issue 'lromthe muffler 38 with less noise. Furthermore by cooling the exhaust product their volume is reduced and the back ressure to the engine cylinders considerably iminished ln order that the engine parts and oWertransmitting mechanism may be rea( ily accessible from above, We preferably 'form the car lloor in the manner shown in Fig. l, in which, as will be seen, a movable section 42 is provided which slides upon the chassis or 'frame Within a recess 43 between the stationary lloor 44 ci the car and the chassis or training, thereby providing a readily displaced section ivhich will give convenient access to the motor parts assembled beneath it. lt will be apparent that the construction shown and described is capable ci considerable variation Within the slrill ot thc incclianic Without departing from the spirit of our invention; and We do not, therefore, limit ourselves to the details of construction shown and described, except so lar as we are limited bythe terms ol the appended claims. Having thus described our invention we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent: l. ln a motor vehicle, the combination oi' a motor, fuel-supplying apparatus therefor comprising a throttle, an automatic clutch device between the motor and a driven part, a single device for controlling the said throttle and the operation ol the automatic clutch device, and a stop for limiting the closing movement of the throttle so that the motor may continue to run but at a spccd too low to permit clutching engagement ol thc saidl automatic clutch.

2. ln a motor vehicle, the combination of a motor, fuel-supplying apparatus therefor comprising a throttle, a sparking device, an automatic clutch device between the motor and a driven part, a single device for con trolling the said throttle, the sparking device and the operation of the automatic clutch device, and a stop for limiting the closing. movement of the throttle so that the motor may continue to run but at a speed too low to permit clutching engagement4 of the said automatic clutch. v

3. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a motor for driving the same, of means for supplying power to the said motor, an automatic clutch device and gear-changing mechanism through which the motor may be connected to a driven part, to drive the vehicle at different speeds, a single device or push-pin for controlling the motor speed, the operation of the automatic clutch device and the vehicle speed, and a stop tor limiting the movement of the said controlling device when power is to be reduced, so that said motor may continue to run but at a speed too low to permitV clutching engagement of 'said automatic clutch.

4. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with a motor, of a-iueLsupplying almaratus therefor comprising a throttle, an automatic clutch device and. gearing between the said. motor and a driven part, to drive the vehicle at different speeds, a single device or pushpin forv controlling said throttle and thereby regulating the motor-speed, the operation ot' the said automatic clutch and the vehicle speed, and a stop for limiting the closing movement oi said throttle so that said motor may continue to run but at a speed too low to permit clutching engagement of' said automatic clutch.

5. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with a motor, of a fuel-supplying apparatus therefor comprising athrottle, an automatic clutch, gearing and gear-changing mechanism between the said motor and a driven part, to drive the vehicle at dille'rent speeds, a single device or push-pin for controlling said throttle .and thereby regulating the motor speed', the operation ol" the said automatic clutch, and also controlling the vehicle speed through the said gear-changing mechanism, and a stop for limiting theclosing movement of said throttle, so that said motor may continue to run but at a speed too low to permit clutching engagement of said automatic clutch.

6. In a motor-vehicle, the combination with a motor, of a fuel-supplying apparatus therefor comprising athrottle, a sparking device, an automatic clutch, gearing and gear-changing mechanism between the said motor and' a driven part, a single device or push-pin for controlling said throttle and sparking device and therebyT regulating the operation ot the said automatic clutch, and also controlling the vehicle speed through the said gear-changing mechanism, and a stop tor limiting the closing movement of said throttle so that said motor may continue to run but at a speed too low to permit clutching engagement of said automatic c lut'ch.

7. In a motor vehicle, Vthe combination of a motor, fuel-supplying apparatus therefor comprising a throttle,l an automatically engaged and disengagedclutch device between the motor and a driven part, 'a single device for controlling said fuel-supplying throttle device and. the operation of the automatic clutch device, and means whereby the fuel supplied to the motor may be limited so as to keep the motor running but at a speed too low to canse automatic clutch engagement.

8. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a motor, fuel-supplying apparatus therefor comprising a throttle, an automatically engaged and disengaged clutch device between the motor and the driven part, ka single device ior controlling the said throttle and the operation of the automatic clutch device, and means for preventing the motor from stopping when the speed of the said motor has been reduced by said controlling device to a point too low to cause automatic clutch engagement. i

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures, in presence of two Witnesses. i

THOMAS LEGGETT SI'IUR'IEVII'1y THOMAS JOSEPH STURTEVANT.

IVitnesses:

KE'LLES Lflll. S'rUR'rEvAN'r. 

